The present disclosure relates to liquid atomizers for use in agriculture.
Such liquid atomizers, which may also be referred to as foggers, sprayers, mist devices, humidifiers, etc., emit a fine mist of liquid. This fine mist may be achieved by guiding a liquid jet through a vortex path that causes the jet to swirl and exit the atomizer as a spray. These atomizers may be used for conditioning the environment by increasing humidity such as in a greenhouse.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,896, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an atomizer with a vortex generating member that is fitted with an R-like vortex generating paths. Water flowing through the atomizer is forced to spin in the R-like path and exit as a fine spray of atomized liquid via a narrow outlet after it is swirled.
FIGS. 8 to 10 show a prior art atomizer 100 having a housing 110 with a vortex or swirl chamber 120. Water flowing though the atomizer 100 is directed along a curved canal 130 into a cylindrical section of the chamber 120 and then along a coned section of the chamber 120 until exiting the atomizer 100 as mist.